Scotsman with record on Villawood violence charges

The first person to be charged over the violence at immigration detention centres is a 33-year-old Scottish man with a 13-page criminal history who has lived in Australia for at least two decades.

However, Darren James McCreadie failed to take out Australian citizenship, and when he was jailed for his most recent offence the Immigration Department cancelled his residency.

McCreadie was due to be deported after his release from prison in August, but he appealed against the department's action and was being held in Villawood's high-security area pending the outcome.

He has been charged with two counts of damaging federal property, two counts of obstructing immigration officials and affray after an incident at the centre on New Year's Eve.

Detainees from a security section had allegedly tried a mass break-out by stealing a car and attempting to crash it through a perimeter fence after starting fires and smashing windows. The section houses detainees are considered either dangerous or a risk to other detainees.");document.write("

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Two other men were set to be charged late yesterday afternoon and are due to face court today. They had also been detained at Villawood awaiting deportation before the incident.

One is a 45-year-old Chinese man who overstayed his visa and the other a Vietnamese man, 38, who is also a convicted criminal without Australian citizenship.

McCreadie sought bail from the magistrate, Jaye Carney, when he appeared in Parramatta Local Court yesterday.

Opposing the application, the police prosecutor, Clint Nasr, told the court McCreadie had a comprehensive and serious criminal history, including offences for robbery and car stealing.

His Australian criminal record began with charges for breaking and entering in 1983, but he was jailed in 1994 on three counts of armed robbery. Most recently he was sentenced to 12 months' jail on August 7, 2001, for car theft.

Police allege McCreadie was among those armed with metal table legs who tried to break out on New Year's Eve, during which he threatened detention centre officers.

The estimated cost of the damage at Villawood was $3 million.

On hearing the case against him, McCreadie dropped his application. Ms Carney remanded him in custody and ordered he reappear at Sydney Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Fifteen men involved in the incident were transferred from Villawood Detention Centre in south-west Sydney to Silverwater Jail and Parklea jails on Thursday.

Dozens of detainees have been removed to jails in the past few days as Australian Federal Police investigate fires and violence at the Villawood, Baxter, Woomera, Christmas Island and Port Hedland detention centres.

AAP reports: The Federal Government yesterday confirmed a former Chinese customs official wanted by Beijing for his alleged role in a $6 billion smuggling racket was being detained in Sydney by immigration authorities.

The Attorney-General and acting Immigration Minister, Daryl Williams, said he was aware Wong Tai-shing, 45, was being held in Villawood's high security area, but declined to comment on the issue until he was briefed by immigration officials.

The Australian Financial Review reported Wong was wanted by China over his alleged role in a smuggling and corruption case that has led to the execution of eight officials and business figures.

His visa has not been renewed on the grounds that he is not of good character and it would be against the national interest.